Sense of Snow
by Nethene Khthon
Summary: Warning: Incest, fluff. ElladanElrohir. Elladan just wants some time alone with his sexy twin brother, but the whole of Imladris seems to be getting in his way.
1. Squandered Opportunity

_Dedication: For Genesis Grey, because you're beautiful and I can't do anything simply when it comes to you. Happy Christmas, from your Secret Santa. Hopefully the cheese doesn't melt all over you.  
Author's Notes: Undying thanks to Casualis for her wonderful beta-skills. You're a lifesaver!  
Set in III 294. Making... Arwen 53, the twins 164, and Erestor and Glorfindel old. Celebrian & Elrond have been married for 185 years.  
The horse breeds, and the horses used in this fic were created by myself. Any error in their names, conjugation, and use is entirely my fault. The same goes for any of the elvish used. I'm just learning, and the language gives the story a more Tolkien-world feel (I think...) so I use it. If there are any errors, please, please, please, let me know. I adore and beg for criticism. Also, a reference for your information would be exceptional, but not necessary.  
Disclaimer: Everything except the words and depiction of events belongs to Tolkien's estate. (Though, if they really want to claim those as their own as well, they can. I won't mind.) I just like to abuse his world to delight others..._

Sense of Snow: Squandered Opportunity

The library of Imladris was well known as a vast storehouse of knowledge. Four stories high, it possessed two floors and a great amount of well-tooled ladders and shelves carefully ordered: the older the book, the higher it was placed. The more delicate and important of works were encased in special boxes and tubes to protect them from materials found naturally in the air, paper, and finger-oils. Scrolls filled diamond shaped cubbies made of the hardest woods, which stretched to the ceiling between sections of texts. Each floor possessed four small schoolrooms that could be used to conduct lessons or as a quiet place for apprentices to copy old editions to new parchments. The cloud-gray stone floors were coated in a thin layer of wax that prevented excessive dust from rising into the dark shelves. It took a score of apprentices a day to clean the entire suite.

Young elves often referred to it as a storehouse of dust and trick corridors. As Elladan wove his way between stacks of books left for later filing and the ever-changing barriers of temporary shelves, he was inclined to agree with them. He had been given a clear way to the stairs into the lower level, and mistakenly believed that the Valar were smiling on him that day. No sooner had he thanked them, than he had come to a dead end in the form of a wall. Several long heartbeats later, he was lost among the middle of the towering shelves. His only guide was the light that streamed steadily in from the western windows. The schoolrooms lined the eastern wall, so as long as he kept his back to the light, he would find them soon enough.

His reasoning proved true as the doorway to one of the central rooms appeared beyond a temporary shelf. Gently pressing it out of his way, Elladan crossed the last barrier into the relatively undisturbed hall that connected all of the schoolrooms. Once absolutely certain no one had witnessed his escapade, he grinned a quiet congratulation to himself.

Remembering why he had gone to the trouble in the first place, Elladan considered the choices offered him. The outer rooms would be engaged in lessons at this point of the day. Trusting the instincts that had never failed him in this matter, he tucked a braid of ebony hair behind one ear and ignored the door before him. Opening the second of the inner doors, Elladan was pleased to note that his instincts remained undistorted. That pleasure slid from his lips as a sough:

"Elrohir..."

The room was bare, save for the table nearest the windows, which was heaped with over two dozen volumes. In their midst, Elrohir had his arms wrapped securely around one half-read text, and his head drooped upon it as it would a cushion. One fine hand curled about the corner of the pillow-book, as if to protect it from imaginary enemies. His long, dark hair pooled around him, twisted and coiled in his sleep. The normally raven locks had turned a lustrous chestnut as the whimsical sunlight highlighted the natural red and gold threads that hid among the ebony of his mane. Ivory flesh glittered in the same light, softening the strict angles of nose and chin. The dark green robes Elrohir was so fond of wearing draped, forgotten, around his feet, leaving him in only a black under tunic and leggings which stretched in the sun with his breathing. 

Elladan's lips relaxed, melting into a tender smile at his twin. He had vanquished the defenses of the library with anger at his abandonmnet and demands on his mind. Faced with the softly sleeping form of his dearest sibling, the fury of his heart drifted away like debris in the light.

Tiptoeing through the still room, Elladan disturbed as little air as possible in his pilgrimage to his brother's side. Leaning closer and drawing his hand toward his twin's cheek, he paused his fingers just before they reached the bright skin. The shadow of his hand hid one of the sleeping elf's vacant eyes from the band of sunlight that illuminated the other. Usually, Elrohir's eyes were the same colour as Elladan's - an ash gray inherited from their father, but in the brilliance of the light, his ashes had revealed spun silver. Elladan felt as if his heart would beat from his chest as he smiled on his brother. Elladan loved nothing more than gazing at him... his beautiful twin.

He took great delight in noticing the many differences that no one else seemed to note. The sharper edge to Elrohir's angles, for example, or the slightly deeper note to his voice, the meager curl to his hair, the gentle curve of his finger while he slept. No one in Arda could match his brother's splendor and grace.

Letting his fingers fall, Elladan drew the sleeper's tresses away from his eyes, tucking it behind an elegantly pointed ear.

"Elrohir..." he murmured with a soft melody.

The vacancy drew away from the silver eyes, leaving bleary awareness in its wake. Elrohir blinked twice before focusing on the face hovering near. A warm smile eased through his features as he recognized who had roused him.

" 'lladan," he slurred happily.

He sat up from his slump, flexing his shoulder blades and rolling his neck as he moved. Drawing his fingertips across his forehead and ear-tails, he tucked errant strands behind his finely shaped ears before smiling adoringly up at his twin. "Welcome to the library," he bantered. "Can I help you find something?"

At the teasing, Elladan remembered what had spurred him through the maze-like library in the first place. Arching one brow, he folded his robed arms together and asked hollowly, "Do we know what time it is, _gwanuning nín_?"

Under the scrutiny, Elrohir blinked innocently and searched the sky for his answer. "Just past midday?"

"Yes," Elladan admonished. "And where were we supposed to be at midmorning?"

Realization dawned on Elrohir's face in the same moment a cloud obscured it from the sun. "Father's council," he whispered reverently, then stared anxiously at his twin. "Oh, Elladan. I'm sorry."

"You always do this," the elder twin sighed deeply, sliding into the chair beside his brother. He tossed his long legs out before him, draping his hands between them. Elrohir was single-minded in his pursuit of the assignments their father gave them. He couldn't fault his twin for that. His habit had only a disadvantageous side effect of forcing Elladan to produce the results alone as Elrohir fell asleep at his studies.

"That terrible?" The remorse was plain in his quiet inquiry.

Elladan only nodded, burying his head into his hands with another deep sigh. "_Adar_ commended your research again."

He looked up as he felt Elrohir's fingers tracing their way up his wrist, separating his hand from his cheek and threading between Elladan's own fingers. A small emptiness left him as their fingers settled together - trivial thing he only noticed as it left, or when it had been with him too long. With a rakish grin and that simple contact, his twin apologized. Sighing once more, the elder twin pressed his brother's hand to his cheek and chuckled quietly.

"When was the last time you slept?"

The playful look deepened as Elrohir avoided his eyes. "Er... a week," he tried, glancing back at Elladan for confirmation. At his brother's incredulous look, he added, "or more?"

Elladan shook his head. With his free hand he stroked his twin's cheek, locking gazes. "You must take better care of yourself. Wearing thin like this will damage your reflexes."

Elrohir smiled, half-bitter with his twin's constant mothering. "My brother, ever the warrior."

"As I recall, you are the knight and I the scholar," Elladan flouted playfully. "I am only looking out for what I know you to hold in priority."

"I know," Elrohir closed his eyes, leaning into his brother's hand. "And I thank you for it."

"Honestly," Elladan pressed. "For me?"

Elrohir's gaze snapped back to his own. He must have seen the glitter of worry that Elladan was trying to hide for he smiled broadly. Moving Elladan's hair aside with his cheek, Elrohir kissed him. Then, placing his hand against the back of Elladan's neck, he brought their foreheads together gently. "I promise," Elrohir whispered.

They rested that way, their eyes closed, trusting the other's presence through the simple sense of touch. Elladan breathed in his twin's distinctive scent, so different from his own. Elrohir smelled of wind and the training fields while he suspected himself to exude the scents of the council chambers and horses. They were quite evenly matched in skills. As was the way of things, Elladan smirked, each admired in the other what he did not posses. He was better fitted for diplomacy and speed, his charm and reflexes bested his twin's. While Elrohir excelled in the martial arts and realms of intense study as his patience and focus were far better than his twin's. Together, their mother often said, they were unbeatable.

"What are you contemplating," the younger elf asked, breaking his reverie smoothly.

Disentangling himself, Elladan leaned back in his chair. "Whether to ask you, or to simply drag you with me across Rân's rump," he lied evenly, sliding his thoughts behind an entirely different subject.

Elrohir twisted his eyebrows in opposite directions as their mother did when surprised, asking, "Where?"

"To the outer tower." It wasn't a complete lie. Elladan had been asked to see to the upkeep of Imladris' tower set deepest into the Hithaeglir. He had even thought of asking Elrohir along. "_Adar_ pointed out that the first day of Rhîw is only twelve days away. You realize what it means."

"Snow," Elrohir responded dreamily.

Elladan nodded. "Which leads to _Naneth_ and _Adar_ being intensely affectionate for the next few weeks. Adar will also be very agreeable. I thought it would be the best time for us to steal some time together. We've been so busy with the Greenwood treaties these past months, I've only seen you in passing."

Elrohir frowned and parted his lips to speak, but whether he meant to agree or apologize, Elladan would never know.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Celebrian's lyrical voice interrupted. With a talent for which she was renowned, their mother swept into the room from seemingly nowhere, wearing a simple riding gown of sky blue that was bound tightly to her middle and arms by ribbons of cobalt blue. It blended with the silver hair that cascaded unevenly across her shoulders as if recently unbound. Even in the shadows, she seemed to glow as though she had brought part of the Golden Wood back in her curls.

"_Naneth_," Elrohir cheered, the fraught expression vanishing from his face as if it had never been. He pounced to his feet and vaulted the table to embrace his mother. Lifting her from her feet, he spun her once before returning her to the ground. Elladan, amused at his brother's abrupt change in attitude, glided to his mother's side at a less exuberant pace. Placing a kiss on her brow, he wrapped her in a tight hug. "Welcome home, _Naneth_."

"We weren't expecting you until tomorrow."

The silver Lady smiled up at her quieter son, her ocean-blue eyes favouring his uncharacteristic patience. Turning, Celebrian took each of her sons by the arm and led them through the doorway. "Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn were otherwise involved with Greenwood matters," she told them airily. She guided them along the main corridor around the library shelves, where it was still comfortable to walk three abreast.

"In other words," Elladan interpreted, catching his mother's tone, "Arwen was causing the _Galadhrim_ a headache." His lips curved into a sly smirk, earlier worries of his brother's health forgotten. He patted her hand on his arm in sympathy.

Celebrian and Elrohir laughed, the two very different sounds mingling with one rhythm. Elrohir took very closely after his mother, in both her child-like playfulness and ease of joy. When one or the other frowned, it was a dark day indeed.

"You stole my sentiment, flawlessly." She smiled winningly. "Which is also why I believe you should take Arwen to the outer tower with you."

Elrohir's eyes, now the same shade as Elladan's, widened in dismay. "The _Galadhrim_ could not contain her, yet you expect us to?" He exchanged a panicked look with his twin that did not seem wholly based on Arwen's roguishness.

"You are her brothers," Celebrian agreed as she mounted the steps toward the main floor of the library. "She listens to you."

"You are her mother," Elrohir called after her as Elladan followed without pause. "She _should_ listen to _you_." His stare roved to Elladan's face for support.

Elladan pursed his lips and shook his head. The whole of Imladris knew well that Celebrian was impossible to deter once she had made a decision. The twins had learned it first when she had given them separate rooms upon reaching their twentieth begetting day. And again, when she had apprenticed them to different masters. Beg and reason as they might, the Lady of Imladris knew compromise no better than her Lord.

Elladan beamed as he watched his twin sigh in defeat, then take the steps two at a time. Their fingers met as Elrohir offered an apologetic smile and a shrug. Hand in hand, they followed their mother along the straightaway out the library arches.

------/ - \------

Glossary:  
_Gwanuning nín_ - Twin mine.  
_Adar_ - Father  
_Naneth_ - Mother  
_Hithaeglir_ - Misty Mountains  
_Galadhrim_ - Sylvan Elves of Lòrien.


	2. Foiled Foray

Sense of Snow: Foiled Foray

_A/N : I realize the scene on the horses isn't physically possible. But let's suspend our disbelief and have faith that elves are that flexible. For Elladan's sake._

"...is why the _Faunrych_ breed outstrips the _Erydrych_ at close-quarters, Arwen," Erestor finished his lecture of the merits of their horses just as Elladan was startled into consciousness again by an errant branch. The half-elf blinked and tried to yawn discreetly.

Not well enough, he realized as Glorfindel winked at him from astride Alagos. The Noldo had ridden his great black mount close to Erestor in an attempt to distract the counselor from his lesson. "But once they reach open distances, good counselor, the draft horses will quickly wear down those prancing ponies," the blond elf jested.

It was not that Erestor was boring, Elladan reflected as the captain and counselor began one of their 'friendly debates.' The counselor just did not understand that this routine trip to the outer tower was meant to be a break from everyday toils like teaching. Though Elladan had been upset when Celebrian had announced his trip to the tower as a group holiday for her children, he had not been surprised. Nor had it phased him when Elrond tacitly suggested that Glorfindel and Erestor accompany them, to make the burden of Arwen lesser on the twins. He calmly understood that by ridding themselves of their closest friends and family, the Lord and Lady of Imladris would be left with only a handful of necessary elves, easily bent to their will. Giving them ample opportunities to enjoy the first snow, and vent frustrations otherwise held in check. Elladan was only annoyed as it meant that he could not vent those same frustrations. Specifically with a particular member of their party riding so close at that very moment.

Tossing the thoughts away before they could do him harm, Elladan glanced at the elder elves and found them still deep in argument. Clearly, Erestor did not comprehend the meaning of a vacation.

Fortunately, his darling, troublemaking sister did. Visibly perturbed by the lack of attention being paid her glorious self, Arwen snapped El-Isilmë's reigns. Together they dashed into the distance in a flurry of brown, white, and laughter. In a matter of heartbeats, they had vanished over the far hills, Alagos and Glorfindel galloping along behind them.

Chuckling, Elladan realized they were about to have a fine example of the differences between the breeds. El-Isilmë was a dappled Faunroch, and the best sprinter in Imladris. However, his endurance was no match for Glorfindel's warrior Erydroch. The blond-haired elf's midnight steed had been carefully bred for stamina and stubbornness. He was certain that as they topped one of the following hills, Arwen would have Glorfindel laughing at the base as he explained, once again, how to reign in El-Isilmë.

Elladan leaned against Rân's neck and held tighter to his reigns when he was forced to take control of his mount. The blond stallion had previously been content to follow his sister's, and thereby, Elrohir's lead. As the three remaining elves eased into a gallop, the large Erydroch demanded more of his attention.

Trees flew past, the ground and surroundings only colourful blurs as they raced to catch up. Having previously been assigned to guard the rear of the party, Elladan saw little more than Erestor and Elrohir.

The counselor lead them by only a hair, to Elladan's right. His exasperation showed in both his white-knuckled grip on Narbeleth's reigns, and the gray horse's own mad glint. Passing up the frightening image, Elladan glanced over Rân's left shoulder, and was very glad he did.

Braced in the stirrups to protect his shapely rump from bouncing against Anor's, Elrohir's muscular backside was presented quite artfully. The bunching of his thighs as they took the shock of Anor's gallop was displayed clearly against his taut leggings. It brought to mind how well sculpted Elrohir's legs were when not disrupted by cloth. Deeply entranced with his brother's movement, Elladan almost missed Rân's whiney as he veered to the left.

Blushing, Elladan corrected their course, earning a disgruntled look from the charger that had known better. He tried to pretend nothing had happened as Elrohir flashed a quick glance over his shoulder.

When they scaled the next foothill, the horses slowed to a canter. As he had predicted, Glorfindel was leaning easily against Alagos' neck, one hand on El-Isilmë's nose. Arwen looked very pretty hiding behind her hair as she doubtless tried to explain that it had all been an accident.

"One of these days," Erestor muttered under his breath, clearly not intending the twins to overhear.

Elrohir exchanged a knowing look with him before focusing on their sister once more. "Haven't you learned how to control that beast yet, _muinthel-neth_?"

Arwen closed her mouth mid-statement and beamed at Elrohir. Glorfindel laughed and shook his head, his golden hair glinting in the sunlight. "Reign in," he ordered as they drew near.

Erestor, still in the lead, came to a stop beside the seneschal. Elladan had to blink, wondering if he had imagined the counselor staring at the gleam of the blond elf's hair overlong. Certainly, Glorfindel stood out amongst them, as Erestor and Arwen shared a dark brown that was only a few shades lighter than the black of he and his twin. Had that been adoration or just fascination he had seen in the chief counselor's green eyes?

Elrohir's hand on Rân's reigns stole his attention, then. Glancing up at his twin's silver eyes, he knew it was adoration, and not a little bit of lust that would shine from his own. To protect them both, Elladan closed his eyes and gave a thankful smile.

"The sun is preparing to set, and I think we should follow its mark. Even this deep into the Hithaeglir, we are probably still far from harm- "

"Better safe than bleeding," Elladan stepped on the end of Glorfindel's statement.

The elder elf nodded. "We'll continue at a trot from here until we find a place to post camp."

"We can still reach the tower before dawn," Erestor suggested, half-heartedly.

Briefly, Elladan pitied the dark-haired Noldo. Everyone knew of Glorfindel's penchant for sleeping with nothing more than his horse and the stars, and none better than Erestor. The two had only just returned from a long survey of Imladris' outer reaches when they had been asked to accompany the children of the Peredhil. Erestor had been along to witness Glorfindel's work as part of his father's campaign to make his seneschal and chief counselor better understand one another's advice.

Elladan's moment of sorrow passed as soon as his dutiful conscience reminded him that it had been at Erestor's behest that he and Elrohir had done the same thing, only a year earlier.

"The horses deserve a rest," Glorfindel chided. Then he added, "Unlike you," which left the half-elf to wonder what he had meant. Without explanation or pause, Glorfindel whirled Alagos and ambled along the worn path.

Erestor spurred Narbeleth into motion, riding alongside the blond. With a shrug, Arwen turned her mount and followed after. Only Elrohir's hand on his thigh stopped him from doing the same.

Elladan looked to Elrohir's eyes for an explanation, but his twin had leaned forward in his saddle, stretching out his hand to caress Rân's nose. No matter how often Elrohir had hidden behind his hair, it felt like a wall to Elladan every time. He had learned only recently that if he was patient enough, Elrohir would share what was bothering him.

Only after Arwen had gotten far enough away that he was certain she couldn't overhear, did his twin speak. "You seem distant, _meleth nín_," Elrohir observed. His graceful fingers left Rân, brushing his curtain of hair behind the ear from which it had fallen. Pinning his gaze, Elrohir stated quietly, "Perhaps we are weary of the woods and wish to be home. We could return, leave the tower to Glorfindel's care."

Elladan blinked, surprised to find that he must have been showing more of his uneasiness than he had thought. Brushing it off, he smiled winningly. "It's nothing," he promised, flattered at his twin's offer to return to their parent's scrutiny in favour of his comfort. "Moreover, how can we pass up having Arwen to ourselves?"

Elrohir's lips twitched into a smirk, and he nodded before setting Anor on a much slower pace than the others had. Rân followed his lighter sister without hesitation, keeping them abreast through the trees.

As they walked, the sun dipped against the horizon, turning its light russet and orange. The new light reflected the red and gold hues in Elrohir's hair, capturing Elladan's attention. He ached to feel that mane running between his fingers, instead of Rân's course hairs. It was wrong to miss his brother so when Elrohir was nearby at all times. Despite this, he wanted him closer, desperately. He craved the feel of Elrohir in his arms, the warmth of his twin as he slept. His stomach tightened in response to the sudden rush of lust, his thighs imagining the feel of Elrohir between them, instead of Rân's flank. Elrohir caught him staring, and smiled coyly under his lashes. "Are you aware," he asked softly, "that the sunlight turns your eyes to cinnamon?"

Elladan blushed and turned away quickly. He could not be having these thoughts now. The first weeks of Rhîw were supposed to be their time together. When their parents were too lost in each other to notice their sons. But the desires stirred up by Elrohir's simple movements and compliments could not possibly be sated on an excursion with their sister and mentors. He had to collect himself before he did something brash.

Just as he'd begun to calm, Elrohir's fingers smoothed along his thigh, curling against his hip. When he met his twin's eyes, he was pulled in by the smoldering expression, leaning towards him without noticing as he did so.

Elrohir pressed his cheek to Elladan's, completely hiding his twin's expression from him – and from anyone who might look back at them. Elrohir's lips brushed the base of his ear, his teeth grazing the lobe. "_Le bainon_," Elrohir breathed hotly in his ear, nearly driving his control away. Only the reigns in his hands kept him grounded.

His twin chuckled at Elladan's subtle tensing, then kissed his neck before sitting upright on Anor and urging the mare into a full canter. His laughter flowed behind him, making Elladan redden further still. With a sigh, he set his stallion after them, catching up just as they neared the hilltop clearing the others waited on.

Elladan focused on the activities of the blooming camp, trying to forget what had happened outside of it. Arwen was sorting the contents of several packs around a small hole she must have recently unearthed. Plates and utensils found their place under her attention, along with various tools of preparation. Erestor was hanging the horses' burdens from a low branch, cleaning them as he went. El-Isilmë shyly stole bits of feed from Alagos' bale while Narbeleth chewed her own millet and ignored them both.

Elrohir dismounted before him, winking when no one else could see, then delivered his tack and saddle to Erestor. Anor looked up at Elladan mournfully, wandering over to nuzzle her brother.

"Not you, too," he reprimanded the horse gently. He stroked Anor's nose, cooing nonsense at him for a bit before descending from Rân. He carefully stripped his horse of reigns and saddle, then brushed them free of dust and scratches before hanging them alongside the others. Anor and Rân strolled over to the grain Erestor had set out for them, ignoring the other horses as Narbeleth had done.

It was only as he turned to ask Arwen if she wanted help that he noticed the glint of golden hair behind the trees. A little further into the trees, Glorfindel had found a nook among the green giants that would shield well against wind and vision. In it, he had set to erecting a small, gray, tent.

Stopping beside his sister without an explanation, he threw the elder elf a questioning look.

"Why the tents," Glorfindel interpreted correctly. "Do you want to wake up covered in snow, or surrounded in it, young one?"

"Surrounded," Elrohir replied, his back to the Noldo. He looked into Elladan's eyes, and added, "Definitely surrounded."

Elladan looked away. His beautiful twin was always like this. Teasing him at the most inopportune times, driving him so mad with want, that strange things ended up happening. Such as the experience in the store room, the time in the library...

He quashed the heat trying to rise on his cheeks. Clearing his throat, he said, "We should cast our own tent, then. Arwen, would you like to help me find a soft place?"

The quiet elf-maiden grinned. The look reminded him at once of Elrohir and of Celebrian. How had the two of them come out so like their mother, while he seemed much more alike to their father? He mused over her practiced movements as Arwen set out the last of the cooking supplies. When she seemed ready, he held out his hand and helped her to her feet.

Taking Elrohir's hand in her free one, Arwen led them across the copse, engaging them with quips and commentary until the tension drifted away. Three sets of feet cleared the ground of debris, and three similar smiles lit the dusk. Between the charms of his siblings, it was a wonder Elladan had the ability to be frustrated at all, let alone angry.

As they mulled over a particular placement, uncertain of it's sizing, Arwen cupped her fingers about her eldest brother's ear. "You need only space for two," she whispered, the laugh evident behind her breathy words. "I suspect I've vexed Erestor enough that he'll wish to- "

"Young ones," Erestor's commanding voice made Arwen's sentence fall short. They turned to look at the counselor's sharp figure against the light of the setting sun while Elrohir continued to prod the terrain with his toes.

"It is needless to find space for young Arwen. Though you are both capable adults, I want to keep an eye on her after this journey's many escapades." Arwen grinned behind her palm at Elladan, who nodded. When little Arwen noticed such things, their father's chief advisor had become too predictable. "So I am to share the tent with Glorfindel and yourself, dear counselor," Arwen taunted, though her tone was sweetly innocent.

Elladan had a brief moment to wonder where she'd learned that trick. Elrohir's attention snapped back to them as Arwen finished speaking, spinning him around to fix Erestor with a dark gaze. "Will my sister's honour be safe in such an environment," he demanded, his brows arched in a close approximation of their mother's stern expression.

Erestor's leaf coloured eyes bulged as his cheeks blazed. He was poised to deliver one of his legendary eloquent insults when Glorfindel clasped the dark-haired elf's shoulders. Startled from his wrath, the counselor only sputtered at the taller elf.

"That's enough, rascals," announced the ever-calm seneschal. "The glory of light will leave us soon. We should have our fire before it leaves us blazing in the darkness."

Had Elladan not been distractedly studying the fine silver embroidery of vines along Erestor's collar, he would have entirely missed the way Glorfindel's thumbs stroked the counselor's shoulder blades in reassuring circles. He fought hard to resist the urge to raise his brows and won, filing the note away to confront later. Since he wasn't going to have the chance to watch Elrohir saunter languidly about the tower nude, he might as well watch Erestor and Glorfindel.

Colouring at the unwarranted though, Elladan drew Glorfindel's attention as if he had admitted some fault.

"Elladan, Elrohir. Gather kindling and wood," the ancient warrior directed. "Arwen, you'll build the fire pit. Erestor and I will gather water. No one is to leave hearing distance of Arwen." Without further preamble, Glorfindel turned Erestor with his grip on the elf's shoulders and led him toward the river. Once the elder elves had vanished from sight, the copse erupted in quiet laughter. Arwen was laughing so hard, and trying so desperately not to at the same time that she tripped over her own boot. Fortunately, Elladan was there to catch her, and the two fell together on the leaf strewn ground.

The skirt of her mottled brown riding dress flared around their calves, dusting leaves into their hair. Arwen's smile was like sunshine in the dimming forest, shining so brightly that Elladan was forced to reflect it. The coming night fell across his shoulder as she coiled into his arms, dripping down in loose curls touched with gold. One could not help but adore her, Elladan realized. Their treasure, their baby sister. He cradled her cheek in his hand as she caught her breath, then pressed his lips reverently to her forehead.

"Remind me to paint that when we get home," Elrohir asked softly, disrupting the dream.

Arwen laughed again, then held her soft hands out to her standing brother. Elladan let her go reluctantly, his hands ghosting behind her in case she should fall again. As Elrohir lifted her to her feet, she quipped, "With you an artist and Elladan as Erestor's prized apprentice, it seems I shall have to be the warrior _Ada_ was hoping for."

Feigning affront, Elladan gained his feet and unclasped the long knife at his back. Tossing it at Arwen, he hid his pleasure when she caught it easily. "Then, sir Arwen, guard this base while the artist and I seek tinder for your fire."

Arwen nodded solemnly, attaching the knife to her belt. "Be vigilant on your journeys, scholar." She then turned to her fire pit, as if dismissing servants.

In silence, Elladan and his twin set about scouring the nearby brush for loose, dry, twigs and branches. As they walked farther and farther from Arwen's scope, their search became like a game. As they crossed in their pattern, they would touch. This time Elrohir would breathe against his hair, that time he could caress his twin's wrist. It was infuriating that Elrohir could draw heat across his mind by looking up through his lashes in passing.

At some point, Elladan forgot about the firewood and stood staring as his twin swayed between the trees, stretching for fallen branches. Elrohir glanced over his shoulder occasionally, blinking curiously. That, Elladan surmised, was the greatest beauty of his Elrohir. His unassuming grace.

Finally wearied by the constant scrutiny, Elrohir stacked his meager gatherings among those Elladan had dropped. His breathing stopped as his twin sauntered up to him, innocently stretching out his arms. Elrohir stopped inches from him, and Elladan breathed a sigh of relief.

A sigh that lodged in his throat as his beautiful twin draped those arms across his shoulders and brought that angular, perfect nose against his in an affectionate brush.

"You know I can't concentrate when you look at me like that," Elrohir purred huskily against his lips.

Startled when it dawned on him that his brother intended to kiss him, Elladan tried to move away. "What if Arwen sees," he objected weakly.

He was silenced with a bruising kiss, and his will faltered. Against the warmth of Elrohir's soft lips, he knew no defense. With his twin's tongue stroking inside of him, he had no resistances.

_Arwen_, his cruel subconscious supplied.

Taking a step back to escape the delicious onslaught, Elladan was reminded that his twin knew him well. Elrohir's foot was poised behind his, tripping them both to the forest floor when he tried to escape. His twin rode him down. Years of practice with Elladan's escape habits provided him the unnerving ability to not only avoid hurting either of them, but maneuver himself into such a position that Elladan was forced to accept defeat.

With Elrohir's hips straddling his, and his twin's arms braced beside his head, Elladan was more than happy to surrender.

"She won't see us in the leaves," Elrohir promised, pressing his lips against Elladan's neck.

Gathering his beloved's hair in one hand, Elladan drew his twin's face back into view. Searching his eyes for signs of remorse, he accused, "You really are a persuasive wolf, _meleth_." Elladan emphasized his mock-ire by consuming Elrohir's lips in another fiery kiss. Devouring his twin, Elladan laced his fingers through the long silk locks falling over them. He clawed his way across Elrohir's back to delighted shivers as he looped the tresses over his hand again and again. He adored the feel of the soft hair in his grasp as they kissed, the texture of individual threads spilling between his fingers.

He was losing himself in the tender sensations when Elrohir rocked his hips against him, sending waves of lust to burn his veins. Moaning into his twin's mouth, Elladan thrust back. He let Elrohir set their rhythm, obeying the passion caused by the warm friction of their writhing and the quiet moans of his twin.

Elladan gasped as fingers raked along his neck, the hand caressing down his side to drift under his tunic and against his abdomen. The startling feel of Elrohir massaging his side elicited another wanton cry. He kissed back with fervor, seeking to crawl inside his delectable brother. His own hands released the pleasure of Elrohir's hair to stroke across his backside and press their bodies closer still.

Elrohir chuckled into his mouth, mocking his willful responses. Driving against him harder, his twin released his lips, kissing along his jaw. Elladan tried to moan quietly as he nipped first his ear, then his throat. He could no longer tell the difference between quiet and loud over the beating of his heart. He wanted their clothes to disappear. He needed to feel their skin rubbing together, to be lost in the sense that they weren't separate, but one passionate being. Elladan panted as Elrohir suckled the flesh at the joint of his shoulder and neck. His twin bit down just hard enough to garner the practiced response in him, all the while keeping him from stopping Elrohir's efforts to undo his tunic.

Not so lost in their own world were they that their blood ran cold in the same instant as Arwen's scream tore the air.

They sprang to their feet in the next breath, Elladan only a heartbeat behind. Panic sent them crashing through the forest as another scream was rent. This one was deeper with effort, making Elladan's heart all but stop in his chest.

There was a sudden sickening crunch followed by a short, high-pitched keening. Then the only sounds were made by the blood rushing in his ears and the leaves crushed beneath his feet.

_Not Arwen_, Elrond's firstborn begged the Valar. _Please, not Arwen_.

Elladan and Elrohir broke through the underbrush at the same instant as Glorfindel and Erestor appeared on the other side. Weapons in hand, they had come for vengeance and fear, and it showed eagerly on all of their faces.

It was unnecessary. Arwen stood gulping air over the impaled corpse of a gangly orc gone rigid in death. Black blood splattered her hair and dress, while only a thin stream of red ran from a small scalp wound.

Elrohir was the first one to her side, wrapping his arms around her with great relief. The daughter of Elrond did not cry, but the tremors that wracked her body belied her calm face. When he saw her eyes clear and recognize him, he felt his heart beat once more. Trusting his brother to calm her with his soft words, Elladan turned to survey the carnage.

The long knife he had playfully given his sister moments before stood straight from the orc's chest like a lightning rod, seeming no worse for the wear. The beast itself was unusually gaunt, his bones and organs outlined perfectly against his parchment-like flesh.

"It appears to be a runt," noted Glorfindel methodically. He lifted an arm and twisted it, searching for something he did not find. "Most likely survived being killed by his own kind just long enough to die by ours."

Erestor hovered behind Glorfindel, staring at the corpse with an expression that seemed a mix of disgust and pity. He nodded his agreement when he noticed Elladan looking at him, but the young elf was not reassured.

"Will there be more?"

"There are always more," Erestor supplied with a grimace, but quietly enough that the others wouldn't overhear. His ardor surprised Elladan enough that he thought nothing of the counselor's hand on Glorfindel's shoulder.

The seneschal of Imladris nodded, already gathering the supplies nearest him. He glanced over his shoulder at Erestor with a half-smile. "Looks like you get your wish, _mellon nín_."

They both turned their stares on Elladan, who nodded. "I understand. It will be as if we'd never been with just a few moments."

------/ - \------

Glossary:  
_Adar_ - father  
_Ada_* - dad  
_Erydrych/Erydroch_ - Horse breed, created based on the Ardennes  
_Faunrych/Faunroch_ - Horse breed, created based on the Appaloosa  
_Hithaeglir_ - Misty Mountains  
_Le bainon_ - you are so beautiful  
_Meleth nín_ - my love  
_Meleth_ - love  
_Mellon nín_ - my friend  
_Muinthel-neth_ - young sister


	3. When it Rains, it Snows

Sense of Snow: When it Rains, it Snows

The door was made of heavy oak, prone to creaking and clicking loudly as it shut. Elladan held the handle tightly as he eased the behemoth into its cradle without a single creak then released it just as slowly. With a final press, the mechanism settled into place with a very quiet tick. The outer tower was a new structure by elven reckoning, but it had been built some generations of Man before Elladan had been born, and so seemed ancient to him. Its construction was shoddy, and though none had said as much, he suspected it had been built by men. The design was centered on defenses and housing for armaments and horses. Of resident quarters, there was only one small hall of six rooms, unlike the two full stables secured below it. Every sound carried in the hall, forcing him to be very careful after seeing the others to sleep.

Elladan settled against the reassuring weight of the door, supporting himself with his hands and chest against the oak. He breathed in the worn scent of the old wood, imprinting it over the moldy smell of the little used tower.

The ride had been hardest on the horses, but had taken their toll on the elves as well. They had encountered only a handful of the hideous creatures hunting the orc Arwen had slain. Glorfindel received a shallow shin wound when the last of them tried to use him as a platform to jump out of the elves' circle. Aside from the failed ambush, Arwen had thankfully slept through the journey. She was able to tend Glorfindel's wound with confidence while the others had blearily fumbled the bandages to her.

He was deeply weary, but having watched Erestor and Glorfindel guard them as Elrohir held Arwen in her sleep, Elladan knew he had born the gentlest burden. To compensate, he settled everyone into their rooms, then fetched extra bedding, and a small breakfast for each. Now he wanted little more than to curl into unconsciousness. His hair even felt tired.

He glanced to his left without moving. In a small alcove behind the door, a full-length mirror was mounted. As disheveled and dirty as he felt, Elladan had to admit he didn't look half as bad. His tired hair shimmered with a silver-blue edge in the brilliant dawn light, cascading evenly – if a bit tangled – across his back. When the rising sun hit his eyes, they showed the burnt gold ring around his iris that normally hid behind the ash-gray. The tunic and leggings he had worn for the past two days weren't even wrinkled, though they did have a bit of mulch smudged into them from Elrohir's lunge. He smiled, silently chiding himself for the scrutiny. Elrohir would laugh at him.

"Admiring ourself, are we," said elf greeted from his right.

More than tired enough not to be startled, Elladan rolled his forehead against the wooden door to look over his other shoulder. Elrohir sat on the modest bed with one leg held to his chest. His tunic was lain neatly beside him with a brush resting askew atop it. Elladan surmised that he had interrupted his twin's grooming.

Leaning more heavily on the oak, he smiled at Elrohir. One good thing came out of the inferior workmanship of the tower, he thought as he said, "Only while thinking of you." With three rooms rendered useless by mold and mildew, he was 'forced' to share a room with his brother. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I was," Elrohir admitted as he poured off the bedding and stretched.

Elladan's mouth went dry, watching the elf arch against the sunlight. Licking his lips, he prompted, "Then?"

Elrohir wrapped his arms around himself, absently rubbing one shoulder as he shrugged. "You came in."

The firstborn of Elrond laughed under his breath. Rolling his shoulder under in preparation to push away from the door, he paused. "My apologies, dear brother. Next time I'll remember to sleep in the corridor."

"No, no," the heartbeats-younger elf countered. Affecting a disapproving frown, he sashayed the short distance to his twin with a walk only Elrohir's swagger could make sensual. "That won't do at all." He stopped so close that the breath of his words disturbed the small hairs around Elladan's face.

Warily, he rose a brow. "Oh?"

"In the hall," his twin pointed out, pushing Elladan's chin up with one long finger. "Could I greet you like this?" Stroking a hand across his cheek, Elrohir threaded his fingers along the braid there. Using it as an anchor, he pressed his lips to Elladan's very lightly. His silver-gray eyes flashed mischievously before his twin's tongue flicked out, urging his mouth open.

Elladan gave in easily. His reward was the intensity of Elrohir's passion. The hand at his waist slipped around to his back, pulling Elladan harshly against his brother's hips. The other in his hair fisted a chunk of the mane at his nape, holding him still as Elrohir tried to crawl inside with his kiss. His twin's lips came close to bruising as their teeth narrowly avoided one another by the merit of practice alone. Elrohir's tongue stroked Elladan's expertly, though he fought valiantly against it.

This was what he'd wanted the entire ride. Elrohir pressed up against him undulating his hips unconsciously as they kissed. His brother was like this – provoking unbelievable amounts of lust without realizing it, Elladan mused as he tried to dissuade his body from becoming aroused. Elrohir would be more insistent if he believe him too tired to react. 

True to habit, Elrohir rolled him back against the door, letting it hold him in place. His hands roamed across Elladan's chest. His twin guided his arms above his head, forcing him to support himself as Elrohir kissed his hair. Running those demanding hands along his torso, the younger twin kicked his legs apart, and thrust against him. Pressing the proof of his attraction against Elladan's loins, Elrohir moaned into his mouth, biting lightly before stepping away.

"Well," Elrohir panted. "I guess there's no use for it, then." His twin brushed his knuckles against his cheekbone, lightly running his fingertips down Elladan's long neck. Elladan's body abandoned reason and his will, aching for the elf so eager to touch him. "First _Adar_ and _Naneth's_ insistence to send chaperones, then orcs, and now your own weariness are conspiring against us, _meleth nín_. I suppose we're meant to wait a while longer." Elrohir breathed a deep sigh even as Elladan's flesh demanded to be caressed by that lost breath.

His twin leaned into him again, placing a reverent kiss on his forehead. "Come to bed with me, at least," his brother insisted, drawing his hand down to grasp Elladan's, and coming across something entirely different.

Elrohir pulled back enough to give a shocked look. He then glanced at the bulge his fingers danced across in short, swift motions that evoked an unwilling groan from deep within Elladan's throat. Elrohir's lips quirked to one side as he clucked in disapproval. "So the whole of Imladris isn't against me," the assailing elf jested.

Elladan closed his eyes as his twin's hand cupped his arousal. He bit his lower lip to keep from moaning loudly when Elrohir began to stroke and squeeze in ways he'd long learned drove his brother mad. So focused on the sensations of that hand was he that Elladan hardly noticed the ties of his leggings being undone until his hardened staff bobbed free. Elrohir's fingers were luxuriously smooth against him, continuing to fondle him to distraction. A moan escaped, but Elladan cut it off midway, his conscience still warring against him.

"What is it," Elrohir whispered huskily in his ear. His twin's free hand caressed his side, undoing the few clasps that held his tunic in place. "Don't you want me, Elladan?"

The croon came loud in his twin's ear as Elladan snapped, and his inner voice finally admitted defeat. With a low growl, he sunk his fingers into Elrohir's hair, pulling his head to one side. His lips were hungrily devouring his brother's neck when they both froze as the door behind them reverberated from a violent beating.

"Elladan? Elrohir!" Glorfindel's voice sounded through the thick door, making the twins blanch.

Elladan scrambled to close his leggings as Elrohir, the steadier of the two, made a running leap for the bed and called out sleepily, "Glor? What's wrong?"

When the clasps on his tunic proved too frustrating in his hurry, Elladan cast the garment off, being sure that it fell behind the door. With a flourish, he tugged open the door and offered up his most innocent look of confusion.

"Elladan, you're awake," Glorfindel gasped in relief. The seneschal looked as though he'd just been through a small war. His golden hair was tousled, his face red from exertion, and his tunic sat askew on his shoulders. Yet, though he strained his ears, Elladan could hear no sounds of fighting. "Yes," he began uncertainly. "Only Arwen could sleep through your noise."

"What is it," Elrohir asked, walking up behind him. Elladan silently congratulated them - neither twin looked half as rumpled as Glorfindel.

"One of you trade places with me," he urged them while avoiding their eyes. "Erestor is being impossible. Again."

Elladan stepped aside, gesturing his father's captain into the room. Rolling his eyes behind the Noldo's back, he declared, "I'll go talk to him."

Closing the door as he went, Elladan glanced in Arwen's room in passing. Fortunately their troublesome sister seemed sound asleep. He dared not chance waking her to be certain, however, and quietly closed her door before continuing on to the room Glorfindel had been sharing with Erestor. Knocking, Elladan called out, "Counselor? May I come in?"

Several moments later, Elladan was just about to knock again when the door swished away from his knuckles. Of all the things he thought he'd never see, the most impossible one was standing before him. 

Confident, arrogant Erestor, whom Elladan had looked upon as the most respectable and reliable of his father's advisors all through his youth, did not look as distant and hard as Elladan remembered him. Though the dark-haired elf still towered over him, he seemed shrunken somehow. His cat-green eyes, though they held their aloof air, belied their master by being rimmed in red. He wore a simple dark-blue robe with a wrinkled left sleeve, the arm of which he clasped tightly to his side with his right hand.

"How may I help you, Elladan," the chief advisor asked, his voice richly commanding, yet frayed.

Elladan's mind reeled. He had no idea how to relate to a distraught Erestor. The counselor always responded well to his twin's joking, he reasoned. "I was about to ask you the same thing," he admitted with a smirk.

Erestor's eyes narrowed, the angry colour reminding Elladan of swamp water instead of kittens. "Tell Glorfindel he should deal with his own problems. Sending one of you is rather juvenile."

Before Erestor could close the door on him, Elladan put his body in the way, bracing one hand against it. "Actually, I volunteered. See, Glorfindel wants to trade rooms. I want to sleep with my brother. So I came to try..." The rest of his sentence fell away as he realized just what he'd babbled in his attempt to help.

"Honest of you," Erestor snapped bitterly. "I thought you were keeping your activities a secret." The counselor grinned smugly, his vicious words rolling on without a care. "Isn't that why we're out here? To keep your secrets from Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian?"

Elladan flushed, unable to move as Erestor flung his accusations. Why had he phrased it that way? The counselor would certainly tell his father. And Elrond would... He would...

"Oh, child," the counselor's voice came, suddenly softer than he had ever heard it. Erestor pulled him into his arms, tucking Elladan's head under his chin. "I am sorry. I did not intend to be so cruel. I am just very angry."

"You knew?"

Erestor chuckled weakly, "How could I not? It is my job to know." He released Elladan, leading him into the room. "Do not fear. I will not tell anyone."

Elladan stared at the counselor as if he had just admitted to having an orcish lover. "You don't think it's wrong?"

"When all the world could end tomorrow because of treachery, war, and growing evil," Erestor posed with his head tilted to one side. "Do you really believe the Valar will be upset over love? Of any kind?"

Still apprehensive, Elladan forced himself to remember that of all the elves in Imladris, Erestor had never lied to him. Not answered him or omitted things, yes, but not lied. He nodded slowly, and sat beside the counselor when asked.

The silence stretched on for a few tense moments before Elladan coughed and asked, "What happened?"

Erestor sighed. "Glorfindel," he began, settling his hands in his lap, "is like most young elves, regardless of how far his memory stretches. He is afraid of words like commitment and promise." When he glanced sidelong at Elladan, the younger elf could only look at him in confusion. "In short, I pledged myself to him, and asked the same in return." The counselor took a deep breath. "It did not go over well," he then laughed.

Elladan frowned. Erestor and Glorfindel, his mind balked at the idea. And Glorfindel had rejected him? "What did he say?"

The brown-haired elf let out a broken laugh. "He informed me that I was insane. And that he would never speak to me again." His voice broke apart as he ended his sentence, descending into choked sobs.

Uncertain how else to react, Elladan put an arm around the elder elf's shoulders, cooing softly as he would if Arwen were so distraught. In mere moments, the counselor recovered himself – not at all like Arwen, who could cry for hours given the right provocation.

"Elves," Erestor bit off. "If you voice love for them, they run screaming." He sighed. "I should have known better. Forgive me, young one, I did not mean for you to see me this way."

That did it, for Elladan. The injection of Erestor's usual aloof kindness made the entire scenario very real. He was suddenly angry with Glorfindel. "I should learn your perceptive ability. I didn't realize until yesterday that something might have been happening between you two."

"Almost half of a _yén_, now."

Elladan shook his head. If _Erestor_ cared this much, he was going to make dearly certain that Glorfindel was not making a mistake. "He's doubtless anxious. Elrohir bore similar responses for the longest time. He couldn't believe I loved him that much."

Erestor glanced at him from the side of his eyes, as if weighing how much Elladan's admission was worth. "It is love, then," he asked, startling the elder twin.

Elladan recovered quickly, blushing slightly. "Yes. Quite the spot we have ourselves in, isn't it?"

The counselor met his eyes and nodded, laughing genuinely for the first time since Elladan had arrived. "We do indeed."

The door chose that moment to swing inward with an ominous creak, permitting Glorfindel into the room with Elrohir in tow. His twin met his eyes with a wild look, searching for an explanation that made more sense than whatever Glorfindel had given him.

"Erestor," the blond elf beseeched, with much less exuberance than Elladan was used to.

"I believe you were refusing to speak to me, Captain," Erestor interceded. "Please, maintain your high moral ground."

Glorfindel collapsed to his knees before the counselor, cupping his hands around Erestor's.

Elladan decided it would be a good moment to leave. Quickly.

"Erestor, forgive me," the golden-haired elf pleaded. "It was shock, I didn't know how to react." The counselor, however, just looked at the top of Glorfindel's head. It seemed to Elladan that the Noldo was trying not to be emotional in front of them.

Elrohir leaned into him, whispering "You know what's going on, right?"

Elladan only nodded in response.

The kneeling elf took his lover's hands and placed the lax appendages against his own cheeks. "I will do anything to make it up to you. I need you, Erestor."

"So I don't have to. We should leave," Elrohir suggested, taking his hand without further warning. They glided out of the room unnoticed, closing the door silently behind them.

Safely behind their door once more, Elladan flopped onto the bedding with a grunt. "Oh, drama," he announced. "Why must you haunt me?"

Elrohir laughed when he lay more gracefully beside him, his dark locks brushing Elladan's arm as he did so. He turned on his side facing his twin, and wrapped his arms around Elrohir's torso. Burying his face against his brother's chest, he mumbled, "You're right. If it isn't one thing, it's another. I'll just have to dream about you writhing in my arms."

Elrohir chortled again, caressing the raven hair. The younger twin propped his elbow against a pillow, holding his chin up so he could smile down at Elladan. "Arwen is asleep. Glor and Erestor are probably imitating rabbits..."

Moving as little as possible, Elladan looked up at his brother. "So, you're saying we're alone, hmm?"

Elrohir nodded.

"Good enough for me." Before Elrohir had a chance to wonder what he was about to do, Elladan tightened his hold about his brother's waist, and licked across his ribs. Elrohir gasped, making the elder twin smile. He sucked and kissed his way across his brother's chest, focusing his attention on one stiff nipple. Elladan swirled his tongue against the sensitive skin, delighting in Elrohir's tiny sounds of pleasure, before leaving off in favor of the other.

Abruptly, the door swung open. Elladan bounced away from his brother, staring at the storm that swept in. It came in the form of a disgruntled looking Arwen, lush blanket in tow. Her dark brown hair streamed behind her like clouds as her eyes shot lighting and she slammed the door behind her.

"I'm sleeping with you," she announced in the tone their mother used when there was no sense arguing. "Glorfindel moans so loud the Valar could hear him." She then leapt into the bed and snuggled between them without further warning.

"Arwen," Elladan appealed, frustrated beyond reason.

The youngest child of Elrond shook her head sharply, once. "No. I am exhausted. You two may kiss and make up after I have slept, or go join Erestor and Glorfindel." For emphasis, she clamped her angry blue eyes shut and locked her arms around Elladan's waist.

Elrohir's eyes flew wide, staring in shock at his brother. Elladan was so distressed, he didn't notice. "Does everyone know," he clamored in disbelief.

"_Nana_ and _Ada_ are clueless," Arwen assured them without moving. "Along with everyone else. _I_ told Erestor." The mischief-maker yawned, adding, "I'm going to sleep now."

Elladan could only shake his head until his twin distracted him by laughing. Finishing with a sigh, he settled his arms over Arwen, cuddling as close to his siblings as possible. "Ah, well. At least now you can never use her as an excuse again," he advised him.

Elladan relaxed, staring out of the window over his twin's shoulder. The clouds had turned a glaring ivory, and large clusters of white were floating slowly across the sky in great quantity. He began to laugh, startling both Elrohir and Arwen, as the telltale snowflakes let him know what their parents were doing. To the questioning looks, he had only one thing to say:

"It's snowing."

------/ - \------

Glossary:  
_Adar_ - father  
_Ada_* - dad  
_Meleth nín_ - my love  
_Naneth_ - mother  
_Nana*_ - mom

Final A/N: This story has a subtitle – "In which everyone gets some except the kids." Hope you enjoyed it, comments & criticism are begged for. Please, please, please, if you see any glaring errors in this (especially in the use of Sindarin) do not assume someone else has told me about it. Thank you for reading!


End file.
